In this blog, Rachel explains what life in the Kujali Abandoned Baby Unit is like – by explaining ‘a day in the life’ of the unit.
In summary, it is very similar to many mothers’ days – feed, change, play, sleep . . . repeat – but on a bigger scale!
“The Baby Unit has 6 Caregivers and 1 Nurse. There are always 2 Caregivers on either day /night shift plus the Nurse. The Caregivers feed the babies, change their diapers, ensure the babies’ safety in their rooms, the communal areas, and the playground, and take them to the health facilities/clinics for treatment.
The Nurse is the key team leader. She examines the health safety of the babies, identifies minor illnesses, and treats them. Together with the Caregivers, she takes the babies to scheduled hospital clinics or treatment.
Because of the nature of their work, the Nurse and Caregivers all live in the Kujali Centre.
Life in the Baby Unit starts at 6:30 am. A brief report and handover are done in the presence of the Nurse by the two Caregivers who worked at night.
At 6:50 am, the babies are fed breakfast and then back to their beds.
8:00 am and the babies are taken out of bed, massaged, and left to relax.
Around 9:00 am the Nurse administers prescribed medication/supplements and at 9:30 am the babies are fed again.
By 10:00 am it is time for the babies to bask in the sun then a further feed at 11:00 am is followed by a bath at 11:30 am and a short nap.
1:00 pm is lunch then time to play or relax.
1:50 pm is time for another nap then a further feed at 3:00 pm.
5:00 pm and the Caregivers spend time playing with the babies, cleaning their rooms, and changing bedding.
6:00 pm is dinner time followed at 7:00 pm with a change of clothes and getting the babies ready to go to bed.
At 9:00 pm the Nurse administers medication/supplements and then finally sends the babies to sleep ready for another day.
The Kenyan Government is working hard to resolve the issues of abandoned babies, and to prevent their occurrence. CCIs like Kujali are a key part of that resolution.”